Millions of individuals are estimated to become infected with dengue virus each year, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Mortality is low but infection can lead to a severe form of dengue, characterised by haemorrhage and shock. A safe and effective vaccine against dengue is still not available.
Molecular Viral Biology Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. clai@atlas.niaid.nih.gov